Notices respecting Nexa Books. 4-13 



H. Cole to the same nobleman on some " grene ore " found at Rich- 

 mond. We must not omit to mention, as belonging to this early- 

 period, a very curious letter from Tycho Brahe to Thomas Savelle, 

 dated 1590, in which he sends his remembrances to Dr. Dee, " quem 

 in patriam feliciter reversum audivi," and likewise to Thomas Digges. 

 This last-mentioned document is very curious, because it shows that 

 a greater intercourse was in all probability then maintained between 

 the scientific men of this and other countries than is usually ad- 

 mitted to have been the case. 



It is unnecessary, however, to continue an enumeration of all the 

 letters here printed, few of which are without their value, and almost 

 all are curious illustrations of the science of the period. We may 

 call the attention of our readers more particularly to a letter from 

 Briggs to Pell at p. 55, which affords a good illustration of the early 

 history of logarithms in this country, and to the correspondence of 

 Sir Charles Cavendish, who was one of the most munificent patrons 

 of science this country has ever possessed. As a specimen of the others, 

 we will here insert the following letter from Mr. Sawtell, a name 

 previously unknown to us in science, addressed to Lilly, the celebrated 

 astrologer, which gives an account of a strange tide at Weymouth, 



in July, 1666. ^ , ,„^^ 



" Waymouth, August 6th, 1666. 



" Mr. Lilly, — I wTote to you the 18th of the former month con- 

 cerning the wonderfuU motion of the tide as it was carefully here 

 observed for 4 hours time, viz. July 17th, from about 10 in the 

 morning untill 2 in the afternoone. 1 also wrote the same to the Post- 

 office in London ; notwithstanding which, it was put into the printed 

 intelligence in one manner, and in the Gazlette in another manner, 

 and neyther of them aneere the truth, and for what eyther reason or 

 policie'l cannot imagine, but made me to be derided here, until I 

 shewed a coppy to many of what I -wTote them to London ; since 

 which they reply if they print one false that is so wonderfull, how 

 many us beUeve the rest, &c. Sir, I intreated you by my letter to 

 have o-iven me a few lines in answer that you had received mine, but 

 to this moraing I have not received any, which makes me doubt that 

 you have not received mine, or else that you doubted the truth, or 

 that it was not of any worth. If it came not to your hand, pray be 

 pleased by a few lines to give me notice and I shall give you (if you 

 desire it) a very true, sure, and punctuall account of it, or in any 

 particular thing or accident that you shall require of it. If you 

 doubted the truth I'll assure you that to what I wrote you ther is 

 not a title false, I am very confident, viz. that the sea did ebb and 

 flow seven times in four hours time ; with the rest of particulars 

 writen you, to which a clowde, as it were, of witnesses will appeare ; 

 that there were many more ebbings and flowings it is probaljle to be 

 true by tlie report of many ; which say that the sea did soc all 

 the morning, and that it did soe likewise againe in the evening, but 

 they say that this was not so violent ; but this 4 houres time that I 

 gave you account off was as I have said, carefully observed by so 

 many and tliat of the chiefest mariners, merchants, and otlier gentle- 

 men, as well as otlicr sorts of people, both men and weomen, one 



